Dance in The Moonlight
by In the State of Haecceity
Summary: Events take a turn when Nathaniel finds out he is a count's son & Kitty accepts a mission where she pretends to be an earl's daughter. Will their paths cross? Soon, they are torn between love and duty as together, their lives dance under the moonlight.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I hope you'll like the story; it's my first time to write here. Please comment, even just an "OK" will do. **

Chapter 1: Family? Or foe?

Nathaniel woke up to the sound of a tap on his window. He yawned drowsily, and then forced himself to get up. He walked towards the window pane and glanced outside. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming; nothing was there, but the tap was heard clearly.

After thinking, he rushed back to his bedside table and hurriedly put on his lenses. When he walked to the window, it was there that he saw an imp on the second plane tapping its tail impatiently.

He opened the window and said, "What brings you here? Is there an urgent message from Ms. Whitwell?"

"Ms. Whitwell? Nah, it's from the P.M. himself. He said you were to hurry and go to the Parliament really fast."

"Did he say why?"

"No, but I think it's got something to do with those people who were arguing with him at the top of their voices about something."

"Arguing? Why? Who?"

"Can't say more, or else I'll be suffering from the Stipples if I'm late any further. Gotta go. If I were you, I'd hurry like the wind."

The imp took off, leaving Nathaniel puzzled over its message. _What does the Prime Minister really want with me?_ He thought. Feeling energetic and curious at the same time, he hurriedly took a bath, ate a hasty breakfast, and changed into his suit.

Full of interest, he walked briskly all the way to the Parliament. A waiting servant ushered him through a room with French doors and he could hear a number of voices apparently having a heated discussion.

"You can't take him away from us!"

"Madam, I'm sorry, but we have to abide by the rules—"

"I don't care what rules you have; I just want to see my son—"

"Come now, Barbara, stay calm."

"How CAN I be calm when they've taken away—"

Nathaniel walked in, putting a stop to the argument. He coughed to get their attention. "Um... may I know what the problem is?"

There were three people in the room, a woman who looked vaguely familiar to Nathaniel, a man beside her, and the Prime Minister himself, Rupert Devereaux.

The P.M. smoothed back his hair. "Ah, Mandrake, I see you've arrived. Good, good. Have a seat."

Nathaniel drew a chair. He looked around the room, scrutinizing everything.

Devereaux handed him a glass of brandy. He sipped it, all the while watching and being watched.

The woman had suddenly stopped her tirade and was now staring at Nathaniel in a way that unnerved him.

"May I know who our visitors are?" he asked.

"We're your—" the woman started, but was cut off by the P.M.

"They are Count William Carlston and his wife, the Countess Barbara Carlston. They say they have something to tell you, John. But before they do, please allow me to remind you of your duty and loyalty to the State ang the government. You are a big asset to the magicians, Mandrake, and I'm proud to say that I wouldn't want to lose you. Just think about it. That's all I'm saying."

Nathaniel only nodded his head, but deep inside, he was feeling lots of emotions at the same time. The Prime Minister rarely said things like this, and something big had to be brewing if he was saying it to Nathaniel.

The woman now stepped forward, and looked directly at him, in the eye. Suddenly, a tear flowed down her cheek and she knelt on the floor in front of him. Before he could say anything, she had started speaking.

"I'm so sorry; it has to be you, I'm so sorry for all that I did... I promise I'll make up for it to you... for all those years lost, for all you had suffered... please forgive me," she sobbed.

Nathaniel backed away slowly. "What is all this?" he asked to nobody in particular, his voice quivering uncharacteristically and felt his hairs stand. He felt like every one of his fourteen years.

The woman stood up and wiped her eyes. But no sooner when she did that, the tears started flowing again.

"Lord, I've missed you so much. Nathaniel, please forgive us and go back home." She looked at him with pleading eyes.

It took Nathaniel a moment to digest that. He looked at Devereaux for help, but he was not there, perhaps having gone out. He turned back to the woman. Only four people knew his birth name. He himself, Martha Underwood, Ms. Lutyens, and Bartimaeus, his djinni. If these people knew his birth name, they could only be—no, it was impossible.

"Are you...?" he started to ask.

The woman sobbed again. "Yes. We're your parents, Nathaniel, and we're finally a family again."

That simple statement had all it took to bring Nathaniel's world down.

**A/N: That's the end of chapter 1, hope u lyk it. Big shock to Nathaniel. In chapter 2, there's also an even bigger shock to Kitty. Please give me reviews, pretty please. Thanks in advance. ** 


	2. Chapter 2

**I want this 2 b a hell of story, so please read on; and the most important thing I couldn't do anything without: REVIEWS. Please grant me d gft of ur comments. ; l (Whatever) Okay, just read on. **

Chapter 2: Princess Resistance

Kitty was walking along the streets alone, reminiscing the past events that had happened to her and Jakob. At the same time, she was also thinking. What could Mr. Pennyfeather want with her that was so anxious? He rarely got too excited about things, and besides, he knew she was busy.

She decided to quicken her pace, and in a minute, Kitty had arrived at the little shop they kept. Composing herself, she took a deep breath and entered.

There, seated in the room, was Mr. Pennyfeather himself, and a female who stared at her deeply with two dark, onyx eyes. Kitty stared back icily. To her sudden surprise, the girl broke out a small smile.

"Kathleen Jones, I suppose?" she spoke with an accent that Kitty could not place.

She nodded. "Who are you?"

"There is no need to know who I am. In the future, we will be concentrating on who you will be." She glanced at Mr. Pennyfeather.

The old man seemed flustered. "Uh... er, you see, Kitty, I and this lady here have had a special agreement. And... since you are the most capable—that is to say, you are the best, I have chosen you or rather, recommended you to carry out the mission she has given to the Resistance. What can you say?"

Kitty's eyes hardened. "Tell me what the mission is first. Then I will decide for myself whether I will undertake it or not."

The woman once again smiled her strange smile. "Oh, it's going to be easy." She turned around Kitty, seemingly taking every detail of her. "You've got the right height, the right build, and... you're pretty enough."

Kitty snorted. "I've never heard of a mission before that makes use of appearance."

"Oh, this one does," the girl admonished. "And I promise you, if you succeed, pay will be big. Well?"

"You still haven't told me what I should do. By the way, how much is the pay?"

"Do five hundred gold talents seem enough?"

Mr. Pennyfeather gulped at the mention of so much money. Kitty thought it over in her head. "I'll admit you've got me interested. What is the mission, exactly?"

"An assassination," the woman said without hesitation.

"I see," Kitty answered automatically. "Who?"

"Who it is doesn't matter. What matters is the plan, and how you will carry it out."

"Tell me then."

"In a small region of England, there will be a gathering of Royalty, such as countesses, barons, and dukes. My organization has managed to 'get rid' of one of the invited guests, and you are to take her place. The gathering takes place within a month. The first stage of the mission is to find out among the guests who we will target. Next, we will attend other gatherings such as this as well. That is when we will strike. Well? Are you up for it?"

Kitty thought for a moment. Slowly, but enunciating every word, she said, "The Resistance was formed to counter magicians. If this is the case, then why are you giving me a mission which does not have anything to do with them? And who told you about us?"

The woman merely nodded. "You are sharp. That is the reason why we chose you. And perhaps, most of the guests there will have their own 'guardians', of which I know that you understand what I mean."

"My gift is of resilience, not of sight."

"It will still work. There would be no use of 'seeing' them if you do not have anything against them."

"When do I start?"

"So does that mean you will accept my offer?"

Kitty gave a small smile. "When I start asking questions, it means I am interested. And whenever I get interested, I always accept."

The girl looked at her approvingly. "I thought so. Wise words. Tomorrow morning we will leave for Wales immediately."

"Wales? Who said anything about Wales?"

"In this mission, everything is already prepared. Your passport, things, and even the mansion where you will be staying are already prepared."

"I think I don't understand this part. What exactly is my role aside from being an assassin?"

"You will attend the gathering as the daughter of the Earl of Launceston. Or in other words, as one of royalty itself."

It was practically the first time in her years in the Resistance that Kitty could not say anything from pure stupefaction.

"But... but... I can't do that... I mean... I'm—I don't know how to act like a princess or something, I mean, I thought..." she stammered.

"You're perfect for the job. Remember this: we have chosen you for the mission, because you are perfect for it."

Kitty grimaced. "Nobody's perfect; I can say that for myself too."

The woman smiled. "Perfection is possible, or else there would be no word for it. It never occurred to you that way, did it?"

Once again, Kitty was left to stare at her.

The woman shook Mr. Pennyfeather's hand, who had been silent all this time. She went out the door, saying, "Until next time."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Home…?

Nathaniel lay down on the plane, still wondering whether he had made the right decision. But even if he reconsidered, he knew it was too late. He was now on the voyage going to Wales, together with his said 'parents'. Nathaniel recalled their previous conversation:

_He had backed away, refusing to believe it. "I don't believe you... this is a lame joke you're playing on me..."_

_The girl stood up, saying, "I know you remember us, I do know. Nathaniel, what can we do to prove to you?"_

_Nathaniel suddenly found himself crying. "There's nothing to prove. If you really are my parents, I still wouldn't go with you; if you do care for me, why did you leave me alone? You don't know how much I had to put up with, and it's your entire fault. It's your entire fault why I've become like this, growing up with all the torture. And now that I've found a new home, you come telling me to go with you? You're crazy. If you did want me all this time, why did you have to wait until now?"_

_The girl stood up, and Nathaniel could actually see her heart breaking. "If there's nothing we can do, we won't force you to go," she said softly but lovingly. "It's up to you what you want to do with your life. But please, give us a chance to explain."_

_The man came forward. "Come now, Barbara. Give him space."_

_Nathaniel knew that voice so well, the one that always had his dreams. "It was during that year; someone gave us a business proposition. We decided to accept, and we had to travel and stay in another country for over a year. We left you to my sister. I'm afraid they were not so... caring to you. When we never returned for a whole year, they thought something happened to us, and so they did what they did to you. We're so sorry for that, and a week after the incident, we returned but we received word that they were burned to death in a fire. We thought you died with them too, and all these years we've been trying to track you down. Nathaniel, we've finally found you and please say our efforts were not fruitless."_

_It was the story that shocked him. After an hour of consideration, Nathaniel decided to take back all the years that had been wasted. And that was how he ended up on the private plane going to Wales._

His mother entered the room, and Nathaniel could see she looked different, glowing, as if she had reached the greatest dream of her life. She had soft, black hair, and emerald- green eyes. It was his father that Nathaniel inherited his eyes from. His hair was like his mother's.

She went up to him and said, "If you don't mind, I'd like to spend a few moments with my son."

Nathaniel didn't know what to say, so he nodded.

She sat down next to him and smiled. "Have you ever learned to eat with your fork and knife in the right hands?"

He smiled suddenly and before he knew it, he was talking. "Of course, I just couldn't get the hang of it when I was three."

His mother laughed. "I had a lot of trouble letting do it properly."

"Well, now, I've managed to do it. Have _you _learned how to whistle?" he asked.

"No, until now, I haven't."

"I can teach you how to."

His mom laughed. "So you do remember? See? All it took was something to trigger those memories of yours."

Nathaniel bowed his head. "Right now, I don't want to think about anything else. I wonder what the others will say." He paused. "Well, I don't care what they say. Past is all behind us."

His mother looked at him. "It's not as easy as you think it is, Nathaniel. You'll find out we've got to make hard decisions by ourselves."

"I know." He decided to change the subject. "What are we going to do next, when we get home?"

"First, we take a good rest, and then, we prepare for our journey."

"Journey, you mean we're going somewhere else after this?"

"Yes. There's this huge gathering of half- royals at another part of England, and we're invited. Mostly, it's consisted of counts, dukes, earls, and barons. Of course, our family is one of them."

Nathaniel sighed. "I don't know how to act like royalty."

"Are you sure? After working for the government, the way you handled the conversation awhile ago, I would've assumed you were the prince himself."

"I guess I could do my best." A thought suddenly struck Nathaniel. "Can I still do my incantations? I did bring my things with me."

"That's up to you. You can as long as you'll do it with care."

"Oh, I will."

His mother stood up, preparing to go out. "Then I suppose there's nothing wrong with it, is there?" She smiled at him, and he smiled at her too.

oOo

**Meanwhile, in the bowels of Whitehall...**

"WHAT?" Jessica Whitwell, Julius Tallow, Henry Duvall and Jane Farrar exclaimed.

"Yes," Rupert Devereaux said wearily. "He's been found by his birth parents, and now he went off with them to Wales. I guess we'll have to make a few changes."

"No... he couldn't," Whitwell stammered.

"The brat's done that?" Duvall said disbelievingly.

"No one's going to help me manage Internal Affairs!" Tallow complained. "Rupert, how could you let him go?"

"Because he was too young, and... and... I felt we owed him something after all."

Jane Farrar had kept silent all this time. "I suppose he's going to suck up to his new home?" she said venomously. "Well, we can do better without him. Parents, indeed; if I'd known any better, I would have reckoned—"

"Do you have a problem with that, Ms. Farrar?" Whitwell cut off. "After all, we all know magicians have never had the privilege of their own families."

Jane Farrar stomped off haughtily after an icy glare at Whitwell. The others trailed their eyes on her.

"Well, I guess that about sums it up," the P.M. said, still looking at Ms. Farrar's back. "We can manage it on our own without John Mandrake, can't we?"

The others merely nodded, but the looks on their eyes were enough to tell it was otherwise.

oOo

The plane landed with a whirr on the huge grounds of a mansion, which in Nathaniel's opinion, was almost as big as Whitehall itself.

He carefully threw his gaze all around, taking in every detail of the home he once had, then lost, and regained once again right now.

His mother and father clambered down the steps, beckoning him to follow them. Nathaniel walked up the grounds, trailing behind his parents. They reached the large patio of the house, and were immediately ushered inside by three waiting servants.

"This is going to be your new home," his father told him.

"It already was, wasn't it?" Nathaniel asked. He swept his eye around, still recalling a bit about the home he had once loved so much.

"Well, it's going to be again, so you better start unpacking your things," Barbara told him. "Henry will show you the way to your room."

A butler stepped forward. "Come, Nathaniel. This is the way to your room." He picked up the bags, and Nathaniel followed him up the stairs. When he looked at Henry, he saw that he was limping, and Nathaniel had a vague memory of himself hidden behind a large cabinet, while giggling silently at someone who apparently had tripped across his wire trap.

"Henry, may I ask you something?" he ventured to inquire.

"Of course you can. I knew you before, you know. You always used to run away from me. Well, what are you about to ask?"

"Why are you limping? Where did you get your limp?"

"Ah, this was from years ago, when I accidentally stumbled on a piece of wire. That day, furniture was moved around the house, and I guess that string was unintentionally left out. Anyway, it left me a big sprain, and this limp after that."

Nathaniel meekly said, "I'm sorry, Henry. It was intentional, you know."

Henry looked at him. "Oh. Well, that was years ago, and I should think you have indeed learned not to do things such as those, I take it? Here's your room. Better take a look around."

Nathaniel looked around, and said, "It will do. It already did, when I was small."

Henry looked at him approvingly, saying, "You've got a good memory; I have a feeling things will get more interesting with you around.

"You've got that right, and you can bet your other leg that things will go much more interesting with me in the house."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Anticipation

Kitty sat on the seat facing the window, with the girl asleep beside her. She had learned that her name was Agatha, and they were now on the plane for Wales. She sighed, knowing that there would be lots of work to do once they arrived. Just a while ago, Agatha had rattled off a list of the things and training she would have to undergo to undertake the mission.

First, she would have to train herself to work as a good spy, and next, she had to train herself for combat.

The last step was not the least; in fact, it was the most important, and Kitty knew she would have a lot of trouble dealing with it: to practice everything that a princess should know. This was the most important part, because they had to make sure Kitty would deceive all the other guests in there.

She decided to think about all that later. For the moment, she wanted to give herself a good rest in anticipation of the next days' work provided for her.

oOo

**Two weeks later:**

Kitty twirled around a full- length mirror, her hair coiled up with a silver clasp, and a diamond tiara in her head. She was wearing a sky- blue dress up to the knees, flattering, and at the same time accentuating her perfect figure. She just didn't know it.

"Do I really have to wear this?" she asked. "It's too... well, flouncy. I mean, does it necessarily have to be lacy and all that?"

Agatha smiled wearily. "You know you have to wear that. With your newly learned 'princess lessons', I can say that outfit completes your disguise." She handed Kitty a pair of sandals. "Try these on, and see if they fit."

_Why did I ever take this job,_ Kitty thought, but set her mind at peace again with the thought of five hundred talents of gold. "These are killer heels," she grumbled. "Can't I just wear my sneakers?"

"NO, you can not."

"I know, I was trying to amuse myself."

"It doesn't amuse me."

"Whatever, Agatha."

Someone entered the room, and announced, "There's someone here to see you, Kitty."

"Who is it?"

"I don't know them. Just come down immediately."

Agatha nodded at her. "You can go."

Kitty immediately ran out of the room, bounding towards the staircase. When she reached the top, she screeched to a stop upon seeing who her visitors were.

"Hi, Kitty," Stanley said. "You look so different."

"I don't think I know you at all," Fred added.

There they all were, except Mr. Pennyfeather. Stanley, Fred, Anne and the rest of the Resistance.

Instantly, Kitty kicked her shoes out of her feet and ran down the stairs, her hair starting to loosen and her skirt flying all over her.

"Guys! What are you doing here? Hell, I didn't think I'd be seeing you for over a year."

They all laughed. "Bad language still there, eh Kitty?" Anne commented.

She folded her arms. "Hmmph, what did you expect, 'Welcome to my gracious home' or something like that rubbish?"

"Not really, more like 'What the hell are you doing in here?' or something like what you said," Fred said.

"Or 'How's the business going?'" Stanley added.

Kitty sighed. "I'll never change. What are you really doing here, by the way? I know you didn't come just because you wanted to visit me."

Agatha came down the steps. "They came because I told them to," she said.

"Why?" Kitty ventured to ask.

"Because they can help us with what we plan to do."

"And what is our plan, exactly?"

"I will tell you all the details later, but as of now, I will let you retire to your rooms. You must be tired." Agatha led all of them upstairs.

An hour later, Kitty and the rest of the Resistance sat in the drawing room, playing cards and swapping stories. When it was already two o'clock in the morning, they all went back to their rooms to retire. When Kitty closed her eyes, she felt it was the best sleep she had in two weeks' time.

oOo

Nathaniel got up from bed, took a quick shower, dressed himself and went downstairs. He found his parents in the dining room, eating breakfast.

"Hi, Good morning," Barbara greeted him. "Have some toast."

Nathaniel sat down and helped himself to breakfast.

"Tomorrow, we've got to travel to Leicestershire, to prepare for the annual gathering of dukes, counts, earls and barons. Up for it, Nathaniel?" his father asked.

"Of course; I've even traveled to Prague by myself," he replied. "Well, not exactly by myself," he added, after giving Bartimaeus some thought.

"So I take it the journey's going to be alright?" his dad asked.

"It's going to be one fireball of fun," his mom replied, her emerald- green eyes glinting in anticipation.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Ball

It was the night of the ball, and Kitty was worried but excited at the same time. She already ready, complete with her 'killer heels'. After five minutes, Agatha came up and announced, "Your carriage's ready, come down."

Kitty followed her down the stairs and slowly went down, unlike last time. She ignored the catcalls and whistles erupting from her friends.

"Shut up, will you?" she reprimanded. They laughed.

"Hurry up!" Agatha demanded. "If you dawdle any longer we'll be late!"

Kitty hurriedly waved goodbye to her friends and mouthed the words, "Wish me luck."

In the carriage, Agatha told her, "Be careful with what you do. We are not going to be the only spies in there. For all we know, every single one of them are up to something too. Have you got your weapons with you?"

Kitty nodded. She didn't have to check to know that she had one knife strapped to her knee, one hidden in the hem of her dress, one in the back, and poisoned needles inserted in her necklace and in her hair clasp. Of course, she also brought the pendant Jakob's grandmother had given her.

Within a short span of time, the carriage drew to a halt at the gates of the huge hall. Kitty gazed in wonder at everything around her, until Agatha told her to stop it and pretend she was already used to sights like these.

"Good evening Madam, may I have your invitations?" a servant stationed at the entrance asked.

Agatha handed a scroll of paper without looking and proceeded inside. Kitty followed her and before they mingled with the crowd, she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and walked in.

Almost immediately, a waiter approached them asking if they would like some of caviar, fresh asparagus... and other foods available.

"Don't you have anything else more... appetizing?" Kitty asked superiorly. The waiter bowed, and Kitty could see Agatha looking at her approvingly with pride.

oOo

Nathaniel started to enter the big hall, but his mother told him that they would not be entering in this fashion, because their presence would be announced to everyone.

He replied that he would not go with them, and that he would just wait within the throng of the crowd.

His parents agreed, and set off to the top of the staircase. With his parents gone, Nathaniel felt like he was back once again in the Parliament, and strolled casually among the other guests with ease.

While he was walking, something caught the corner of his eye, and Nathaniel looked backward to catch a clear view of it. Without knowing where he was going, he accidentally stumbled and bumped with a young girl about the same age as he was.

She turned around and asked him, "Ouch! What do you think you're doing?"

Nathaniel looked at her and apologized profusely for what had happened. Turning around, she started to go off but something struck Nathaniel's memory, and he called her again. "Wait!" he shouted.

oOo

Kitty had started to go away but the boy who bumped her called and said "Wait!"

She turned around, not knowing what to expect. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Ki—no, I mean Kathleen. Why? Is anything wrong?" she asked, trying to put it in an innocent but dismissing tone.

"Uh... er... nothing actually, it's just that you look familiar..." he trailed off.

"Of course; I happen to be the daughter of one of the Earls present here," she replied. "You must have seen me with my father during one of his speeches."

"I...uh... see. I must go now, maybe we'll see each other again."

"Of course. Maybe another time."

He went away, and Kitty went over to see where Agatha was. "What was that all about?" Agatha hissed.

"Nothing, just an annoying boy."

"Why? What did he say?"

"That I looked familiar. But that's impossible, because I've never seen him before," she assured Agatha.

The woman's eyes became fearful. "What did you tell him?'

"I said he must have seen me during one of my father's speeches, being an earl's daughter."

Agatha sighed with relief. "That's good. You do know how to do lying efficiently."

Kitty gave a dry laugh. "I've got the magicians to thank for it."

They both turned to the huge staircase, where someone was standing, apparently about to say something.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I allow to introduce to you our beloved guests who are staying with us tonight! First, Lord Thomas Walthorn and Lady Elizabeth Walthorn!"

"Next, Baron Garthood of Nottingham, and his wife, the Baroness of Nottingham!" Applause sounded as he called the other guests one by one.

Finally, Nathaniel's parents appeared at the top of the staircase.

"Count William Carlston and Countess Barbara Carlston!" Once again, applause sounded, and the couple came down elegantly, while Nathaniel beamed in pride.

oOo

"There," Agatha whispered to Kitty. "The Carlstons. They're supposed to be the family we are targeting. Take note of how they look like."

Kitty watched as they descended down the stairs, quite elegantly, in her opinion. The woman looked rather young, striking, with deep black hair, and emerald green eyes. She could not see the man very clearly.

_Enjoy all the parties while you can,_ Kitty thought. _Next time, you'll be screaming your heads off._

She continued watching; all the while thinking of the five hundred gold talents she would receive from the job. It never occurred to her once that this time, fate had other plans. And no one had any idea of what they were.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Dance

The ball was now in full swing; all the guests were having a good time, and Nathaniel could see that. In fact, he was also having a good time by himself. Suddenly, his parents appeared at his shoulder, and at the time, the orchestra began a new song.

"Won't you dance, Nathaniel?" his mother asked.

He bowed his head shyly. "I don't know," he replied truthfully. "I think I'm too shy."

"Come on, it's just for fun."

"I'll try."

"I and your father will be dancing the night away. I hope you can find a nice partner for yourself."

"Okay, go on."

They walked away to the dance floor, his father twirling his mother across. At first, Nathaniel watched them happily. After, he decided that he did want to dance. In the distance, he saw a girl approaching him, smiling.

"Do you want to dance?" Nathaniel asked.

She nodded happily. "Sure."

They walked together on the dance floor, swaying to the beat of the song. When the time came for the dancers to exchange partners, the girl went off, and almost immediately, Nathaniel found himself a new partner, much older than him, but he didn't mind.

It was practically the first time in years Nathaniel had felt so happy.

oOo

Agatha had to use all of her strength to urge Kitty to dance. "Just this once," she said. "People will become more suspicious when they see you're not dancing."

"I don't like dancing," Kitty protested.

"Just use the basic steps I taught you, and everything will be alright."

"I still don't want to. Can't I just pretend I had... a stomach ache, or something?"

"No, you can not," Agatha reprimanded sharply. "I tell you, an earl's daughter is expected to dance. It might seem strange, but it's the truth."

"Fine, fine, you've got me in the ass."

"Sh! Someone might hear you! Now go!"

Somehow, Kitty found herself dancing the night away. After about five minutes of dancing, Kitty wondered whether she should take a break. Suddenly, everyone started to change partners, and it was all Kitty could do to keep up with them.

Thankfully, someone took her hand, and at first, she was full of relief, but after a second look, her heart began thumping wildly when she saw it was the boy who had bumped her a while ago.

"So, we meet again," he greeted her.

"Um... yes."

"Do you like dancing?"

"No, not that much," she replied. It was the truth.

"I see. So we do have something in common, after all."

"Well, sort off."

"You did say you were the daughter of one of the earls here?"

"Yes. The Earl of Launceston is my father."

"I see. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"I, as well. May I know who you are?"

"Nathaniel Carlston, the son of Count William Carlston and his wife, the Countess Barbara Carlston."

At this statement, Kitty at first did not know how to react. Here she was, actually talking to the son of the family she was to assassinate. And then, Kitty's quick mind began to formulate a plan. She could get what she wanted easily enough from this boy. She decided to play along with him.

"You must have a huge mansion," she commented.

"Actually, it's not as big as this is. However, yours must be bigger, I reckon?"

"No, not really. Where do you live?"

"In Wales."

_Wales!_ Kitty thought. _Why, that's exactly where I'm staying right now! I've got a feeling this mission would be a piece of cake._ And she continued to dance with him, smiling with savage satisfaction.

Suddenly, in the corner of her eye, Kitty saw a silhouette near the open balcony. When she strained her eyes, she knew it was Agatha. And someone was gripping her hair furiously, while clamping a hand over her mouth. Kitty immediately detached her attention from Nathaniel.

"Uuh... would you excuse me for a moment?" she asked. "I have some... business to attend to."

"Of course," he replied. When Kitty briskly walked away, unknown to her, one of her knives fell to the floor. Before anyone could look at it clearly, Nathaniel strode over to pick it up, and put it into his pocket.

oOo

Nathaniel was not exactly surprised or horrified to see the knife fall out of the girl's skirt. Without knowing what he was doing, he strode over to pick it up, and then walked away from the dance floor to a more solitary corner where he examined the knife in peace.

_She's got guts, carrying that knife,_ Nathaniel thought. _What was she planning to do with it?_ A distinct memory suddenly placed itself in his mind, and he could recall a certain incident when he was still twelve years old, when someone left him for dead in an alley.

Once again, Nathaniel scrutinized the knife, looking at it closely. Finally, he knew he was right, and that he had not been surer of anything else than this. The girl he had danced with at the ball was a member of the Resistance, the group he had been directing his energies at, in revenge for what they did to him in a back alley years ago.

And now, he was going to get his vengeance once and for all.

oOo

Kitty immediately went to where Agatha and the man were. When she reached the balcony, Agatha gave her a weak signal, and without hesitation, Kitty drew the knife from her knee and thrust it into the man's arm.

He was not able to howl in pain, because Agatha had covered his mouth with her hand. Together, the two women dropped him into the river, overlooked by the balcony. Agatha turned to Kitty and said, "You were on time. Thanks for the help."

Kitty's eyes glinted. "I'm used to being on time."

"I didn't know you would do that with lots of people around."

"I've had lots of practice. By the way, I've got good news for you; I'll tell you all about it later when we get home."

"Sure. Thanks again."

"Don't mention it."

Together, both of them walked towards the dance floor as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Complications

Unsure of what to do, Nathaniel merely slipped the knife into his breast pocket, and calmly proceeded once again back to the spacious dance floor, where he silently mulled over the last moments in his mind.

Thankfully, the soft music of the orchestra helped him to settle his cluttered mind. Nathaniel had nothing left to do but hope that the girl wouldn't dance with him again. _If she did,_ he thought, _I don't think I can hardly keep myself from blurting out she's under arrest. _

At that exact moment, his mother and father approached him and said, "Nathaniel, we want you to meet some good friends of ours." They dragged him towards some guests. He did not refuse, but complied.

All night, Nathaniel spent his time talking and being introduced to the other guests. Knowing that they were not to fear, unlike some might have been in London, he felt relaxed and good.

But still, John Mandrake found himself wistfully thinking about the distinct grandeur of Whitehall, the Parliament, the presence of his beloved Prime Minister, and most of all, the feeling of having someone always by his side, sometimes annoying him with its chatter, but otherwise following every word he ever said.

oOo

Kitty knew that Agatha was silently appalled at her rash action, but deep inside, a small fraction of her being was still scared, or otherwise troubled at what she had done. _But then,_ Kitty thought, _in this situation, there's no turning back._ Once again, she glanced at Agatha, and was pleased to see that the older woman had a satisfied look on her face.

As the night went on, Kitty was too busy thinking about her last crime to notice that one certain knife of hers was gone from its place. And what was worse, on her part, was that it was not lying anymore on the floor of the mansion, but instead, it was on somebody else's possession.

When it was about an hour after midnight, Agatha turned to Kitty and told her they were going. Both of them walked outside, and trudged silently towards their waiting carriage. After a word from Agatha, the carriage immediately leaped to a canter.

But somewhere on the terrace of the mansion, quietly overlooking the carriage, there stood someone, someone whose face was set gravely, and who had seen and heard enough. And when the carriage disappeared out of the driveway, nothing could be seen anymore in the terrace except a fleeting glimpse of a shadow disappearing on the walls.

oOo

It was almost midnight. A slender, raven-haired woman with piercing onyx eyes could be seen walking confidently along the murky streets of Wales, her staccato heels tapping along a steady quick-paced rhythm. The slinky black dress she wore emphasized the curve of her slim waist and only her red lips provided color in her whole apparel.

Few drunken men hooted and whistled as she passed, but the woman ignored them and merely continued on her way. Finally, she stopped in front of what seemed like an abandoned building, a building that was clearly not what it portrayed, because the woman deftly slid a hand underneath her dress and pulled out a glistening knife. She twirled it for a second. Then the knife flew through the air with a whizzing sound.

She turned around. The knife was embedded in the wall behind her, a mere inch away from the head of a handsome, well-built blonde wearing a jacket and rugged jeans. He was smirking, in spite of the near-death experience.

"Good evening, Agatha_._"

"You're not supposed to be here, Darius."

"My, my, that was rude, wasn't it? We both know I have every right to visit this dammed ramshackle place as often as I want to." He chuckled and threw the knife back to her. "Besides, it's not every night I get to see you dolled up in that—" he waved his hand carelessly—"ridiculous garb. Too Gothic, wouldn't you agree?"

"What do you want?" she hissed, invisible sparks of anger emanating from her dark eyes.

"Nothing bad, nothing bad, I promise you," he assured heartily. Then his green eyes turned icy. "I merely wanted to ask how your little project was progressing along. I mean, I knew you were walking a tightrope that would eventually snap, from the moment you took responsibility for—"

"Whichever tightrope I am on is none of your bloody business, Darius. And if you really want to know, my plan is being carried out very well. I already have people, very capable people, working for me." She thought of Kitty's earlier deed and smiled to herself.

Darius frowned subtly, uncomfortable about something. "And after it is all done? What will you do to these 'people' of yours? Will you let them live?"

"Of course not. They will die."

A smug grin broke across the blonde's angelic face. "You sure about that, lady? From what I've heard, you're so confident about plan A that you haven't even got a plan B. Very… _wise_ of you, I say."

"I _am_ confident. Unlike you, who chooses to dawdle his time away pretending to 'gather' information about the people involved in this mission. Beat it psychopath, I've gone farther than you have in this competition."

"Competition?" The frown went back, deeper this time. "Is this how you view it Agatha? Some freaking game? Then let me tell you. This isn't about whether you accomplish it first than I do, or whether I beat you to it. We're talking about absolute control over _all_ entities, not only those that are here but also those in the Other Place. We're talking about monopolizing the grandeur and power of London and keeping it for ourselves. This isn't about some little contest, it's about power. Power, Agatha."

"I know that," Agatha shot back. "The difference is just that I _want_ all that power for _myself_, and I'm not sharing it with a weakling like you. _That's_ why I want to win this race. _That's_ why I have to finish this first before you do. Don't you get it Darius? Thinking it over won't get you anywhere. You need to _act_. Like what I'm doing now."

He sighed, and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "It's no use arguing with a too-impulsive twit like you. But let me at least tell you this: being too reckless and assuming will bring you down in the end. This needs careful planning, careful measures, and a vigilant eye. Right now I have a trusted spy working for me, who is gathering all the classified information he can about this mission." He smiled impishly. "You might have met him, he was in the ball at Leicestershire. In fact, he tied up one of the staff and ended up announcing the names of the royals present. Tiring, but it gave me almost all of the information I wanted, seeing the invitations and names and all that. I was able to learn a few signatures too." He winked.

"I don't see how forging signatures can help you obtain the Key to the Gate."

"Shut up!" Darius furiously whispered. "Someone could hear you! We don't need more trouble than we already have! Be careful woman!"

"I AM careful. You're the one who started all this trouble anyway. Now go away, I don't need to see your pathetic face any longer than this."

Darius shrugged once more. "It's your funeral." Then without another word, he turned his back and disappeared among the shadows.


End file.
